Defines colonia as a recognized community: (1) along the United States-Mexico border region in Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas; and (2) lacking such services as potable water, adequate sewage systems, and safe and sanitary housing.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1088 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1088
To enhance the capacity of organizations working in the United States-
Mexico border region to develop affordable housing and infrastructure
and to foster economic opportunity in the colonias.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2003
Mr. Bonilla (for himself and Mr. Ortiz) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in
addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance the capacity of organizations working in the United States-
Mexico border region to develop affordable housing and infrastructure
and to foster economic opportunity in the colonias.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Colonias Gateway Initiative Act''.
SEC. 2. COLONIAS GATEWAY INITIATIVE.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Colonia.--The term ``colonia'' means any identifiable
community that--
(A) is located in the State of Arizona, California,
New Mexico, or Texas;
(B) is located in the United States-Mexico border
region;
(C) is determined to be a colonia on the basis of
objective criteria, including lack of potable water
supply, lack of adequate sewage systems, and lack of
decent, safe, and sanitary housing; and
(D) was in existence and generally recognized as a
colonia before the date of enactment of this Act.
(2) Regional organization.--The term ``regional
organization'' means a nonprofit organization or a consortium
of nonprofit organizations with the capacity to serve colonias.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
(4) United states-mexico border region.--The term ``United
States-Mexico border region'' means the area of the United
States within 150 miles of the border between the United States
and Mexico, except that such term does not include any standard
metropolitan statistical area that has a population exceeding
1,000,000.
(b) Grant Program.--To the extent amounts are made available to
carry out this section, the Secretary may make grants under this
section to 1 or more regional organizations to enhance the availability
of affordable housing, economic opportunity, and infrastructure in the
colonias.
(c) Grants.--
(1) In general.--Grants under this section may be made only
to regional organizations selected pursuant to subsection (d).
(2) Selection.--After a regional organization has been
selected pursuant to subsection (d) to receive a grant under
this section, the Secretary may provide a grant to such
organization in subsequent fiscal years, subject to subsection
(f)(2).
(d) Selection of Regional Organizations.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall select 1 or more
regional organizations that submit applications for grants
under this section to receive such grants.
(2) Competition.--The selection under paragraph (1) shall
be made pursuant to a competition, which shall--
(A) consider the proposed work plan of the
applicant under subsection (f); and
(B) be based upon the criteria described in
paragraph (3).
(3) Criteria.--Criteria for the selection of a grant
recipient shall include a demonstration of the extent to which
the applicant organization has the capacity to--
(A) enhance the availability of affordable housing,
economic opportunity, and infrastructure in the
colonias by carrying out the eligible activities set
forth in subsection (g);
(B) provide assistance in each State in which
colonias are located;
(C) form partnerships with the public and private
sectors and local and regional housing and economic
development intermediaries to leverage and coordinate
additional resources to achieve the purposes of this
section;
(D) ensure accountability to the residents of the
colonias through active and ongoing outreach to, and
consultation with, residents and local governments; and
(E) meet such other criteria as the Secretary may
specify.
(4) Distribution of funding.--In making the selection under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that--
(A) each State in the United States-Mexico border
region receives a grant under this Act; and
(B) each State receives not less than 15 percent of
the amounts appropriated to carry out this Act.
(e) Advisory Board.--
(1) Membership.--The Secretary shall appoint an Advisory
Board that shall consist of 9 members, who shall include--
(A) 1 individual from each State in which colonias
are located;
(B) 3 individuals who are members of non-profit or
private sector organizations having substantial
investments in the colonias, at least 1 of whom is a
member of such a private sector organization; and
(C) 2 individuals who are residents of a colonia.
(2) Chairperson.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall designate a
member of the Advisory Board to serve as Chairperson
for a 1-year term.
(B) Alternating chairperson.--At the end of the 1-
year term referred to in subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall designate a different member to serve
as Chairperson, ensuring that the Chairperson position
rotates to a member from every State in which colonias
are located.
(3) Term.--Advisory Board members shall be appointed for 2-
year terms that shall be renewable at the discretion of the
Secretary.
(4) Compensation.--Advisory Board members shall serve
without compensation, but the Secretary may provide members
with travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title
5, United States Code.
(5) Functions.--The Advisory Board shall--
(A) assist any regional organization that receives
a grant under this section in the development and
implementation of its final work plan under subsection
(f);
(B) review and approve all final work plans;
(C) assist the Secretary in monitoring and
evaluating the performance of any regional organization
in implementing its final work plan; and
(D) provide such other assistance as the Secretary
may request.
(f) Work Plans.--
(1) Application.--Each regional organization applying for a
grant under this section shall include in its application a
proposed work plan.
(2) Annual submission.--To be eligible to continue
receiving annual grants under this section after selection
pursuant to subsection (d), a regional organization shall, on
an annual basis after such selection and subject to the
determination of the Secretary to continue to provide grant
amounts to such regional organization, submit a proposed work
plan to the Advisory Board and the Secretary for review and
approval.
(3) Final work plan.--In any fiscal year, including the
fiscal year in which any regional organization is selected
pursuant to subsection (d), prior to final determination and
allocation of specific grant amounts, each selected regional
organization shall, with the assistance of the Advisory Board,
develop a final work plan that thoroughly describes how the
regional organization will use specific grant amounts to carry
out its functions under this section, which shall include--
(A) a description of outcome measures and other
baseline information to be used to monitor success in
promoting affordable housing, economic opportunity, and
infrastructure in the colonias;
(B) an account of how the regional organization
will strengthen the coordination of existing resources
used to assist residents of the colonias, and how the
regional organization will leverage additional public
and private resources to complement such existing
resources;
(C) an explanation, in part, of the effects that
implementation of the work plan will have on areas in
and around colonias; and
(D) such assurances as the Secretary may require
that grant amounts will be used in a manner that
results in assistance and investments for colonias in
each State containing colonias, in accordance with
requirements that the Advisory Board and the Secretary
may establish that provide for a minimum level of such
investment and assistance as a condition of the
approval of the work plans.
(4) Approval.--
(A) In general.--No grant amounts under this
section for a fiscal year may be provided to a regional
organization until the Secretary approves the final
work plan of the organization, including a specific
grant amount for the organization.
(B) Considerations.--In determining whether to
approve a final work plan, the Secretary shall consider
whether the Advisory Board approved the plan.
(C) Nonapproval of plan.--To the extent that the
Advisory Board or the Secretary does not approve a work
plan, the Advisory Board or the Secretary shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, assist the selected
regional organization that submitted the plan to
develop an approvable plan.
(g) Eligible Activities.--Grant amounts under this section may be
used only to carry out eligible activities to benefit the colonias,
including--
(1) coordination of public, private, and community-based
resources and the use of grant amounts to leverage such
resources;
(2) technical assistance and capacity building, including
training, business planning and investment advice, and the
development of marketing and strategic investment plans;
(3) initial and early-stage investments in activities to
provide--
(A) housing, infrastructure, and economic
development;
(B) housing counseling and financial education,
including counseling and education about avoiding
predatory lending; and
(C) access to financial services for residents of
colonias;
(4) development of comprehensive, regional, socioeconomic,
and other data, and the establishment of a centralized
information resource, to facilitate strategic planning and
investments;
(5) administrative and planning costs of any regional
organization in carrying out this section, except that the
Secretary may limit the amount of grant funds used for such
costs; and
(6) such other activities as the Secretary considers
appropriate to carry out this section.
(h) Grant Agreements.--A grant under this section shall be made
only pursuant to a grant agreement between the Secretary and a regional
organization selected under this section.
(i) Termination and Recapture.--If the Secretary determines that a
regional organization that was awarded a grant under this section has
not substantially fulfilled its obligations under its final work plan
or grant agreement, the Secretary shall terminate the participation of
that regional organization under this section, and shall recapture any
unexpended grant amounts.
(j) Details From Other Agencies.--Upon request of any selected
regional organization that has an approved work plan, the head of any
Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the
personnel of such agency to that regional organization to assist it in
carrying out its duties under this section.
(k) Environmental Review.--For purposes of environmental review,
projects assisted by grant amounts under this section shall--
(1) be treated as special projects that are subject to
section 305(c) of the Multifamily Housing Property Disposition
Reform Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 3547); and
(2) be subject to regulations issued by the Secretary to
implement such section 305(c).
(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section--
(1) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years
2005 through 2009.
(m) Sunset.--No new grants may be provided under this section after
September 30, 2009.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.
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